1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to enhancements for incorporation into an electronic navigation device. More particularly, the present invention is directed to an enhancement of the calibration and hence the accuracy of barometric altimeter measurements with the aid of derived altitudes from a global positioning system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, altitude measurements are made using two methods of measurement. One method utilizes a barometric altimeter. Barometric altimeters are devices that sense local atmospheric pressure and use a standard model of the atmosphere to convert this pressure measurement into altitude. Altitude measurements are referenced to height above mean sea level (MSL).
It is well known that local atmospheric pressure at a given altitude varies widely due to the effects of weather, solar heating, and other factors. Thus, in order to provide an accurate altitude, barometric altimeters must be calibrated to correct for these variations. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a worldwide navigation system that can determine a user""s position in horizontal and vertical dimensions. However, GPS vertical measurements are currently all referenced to the WGS-84 ellipsoid, a purely mathematical construct that approximates the shape of the earth. The GPS receiver must use a model that relates the height above the ellipsoid to the height above mean sea level.
Further, it is well known that the vertical measurement of a GPS system is inherently less accurate than the horizontal measurements. This is due to the fact that GPS satellites are constrained to be above the horizon for signal reception to occur. This geometry is less that optimal for measuring the vertical component of a user""s location simply because there can not be satellites visible below the user (an optimal configuration would have satellites above and below the user). All GPS receivers are able to take into account satellite geometry (Dilution of Precision) and estimates of other satellite-related errors (URA) and provide a statistical estimate of the errors in the horizontal and vertical measurements.
In practice, a barometric altimeter typically provides a more stable measurement of altitude than GPS over short time periods. However, over long time periods, pressure variations can be of such magnitude that the barometric altimeter measurement of altitude is less accurate than the GPS measurement. The pressure-indicated altitude of an uncalibrated barometric altimeter is typically in error by many tens of meters due to normal atmospheric pressure fluctuations, weather fronts and other sources. However, this error is of a bias like naturexe2x80x94it is slowly varying with timexe2x80x94resulting in less accurate barometric altimeter readings over long time periods. Accordingly, while an altitude determination derived from barometric pressure may be meaningfully accurate in a short time frame, over time, the accuracy of such a determination becomes undesirable. Conversely, because GPS derived altitude suffers from different complementary errors, over a short time period (typically minutes time frame), GPS altitude measurements are subject to much larger variations than barometric altimeter measurements.
In an attempt to overcome the foregoing, one proposal combines a GPS unit and a barometric pressure sensor in the same housing. However, in that proposal the pressure sensor is used to augment GPS derived altitude information.
In particular, McBurney et al., in U.S Pat. No. 6,055,477, disclose a method of combination or integration of measurements made using two systems to provide better availability or accuracy in altitude measurements by estimating a barometric bias using the difference in altitude obtained from the two sources. The McBurney et al. method however, fails to recognize that utilizing the difference between a GPS derived altitude and a barometric altimeter altitude, as a term in calibrating the barometer altimeter, will common mode out any dynamic changes due to movement of the barometric altimeter and the GPS in tandem. As a result, the McBurney et al. approach undesirably requires that the user not change altitude during calibration periods.
Additionally, in the stated prior approach, an altimeter may only be calibrated using GPS derived altitude information when the user is stationary, often referred to as a xe2x80x9cCalibration modexe2x80x9d. The present invention makes no distinction between xe2x80x9ccalibration modexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cnavigation modexe2x80x9d, indeed the barometric error is constantly being estimated and used to calibrate the system. Furthermore, the present invention provides a method to statistically determine the need for calibration which results in both the calibration and error estimation numbers being calculated and utilized without any user intervention, i.e. the user need not place the device in xe2x80x98calibration modexe2x80x99 to obtain the required bias parameter for calibration computations.
There exists a need for a method to take advantage of the long term stability of the GPS altitude measurement and the short term stability of the barometric altimeter measurement to produce an altitude measurement that is stable and accurate over long and short time periods. Additionally, the need exists for a method that uses both GPS-derived altitude and barometric altimeter altitude to produce an altitude measurement that is more stable and accurate than either measurement taken alone. The need also exists for an improved method to calibrate a barometric altimeter and to compute a barometric altitude correction quantity. Particularly, the need exists for a method to have GPS and altimeter outputs to be self calibrating while the user is on the move. The present invention fills the foregoing identified needs, and other needs, while overcoming the drawbacks of the prior art.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved navigation unit.
It is another an object of this invention to compute a barometric altitude correction quantity such that the use of this quantity during calibration results in measurements that are more stable and accurate than GPS or barometric measurements taken independently.
It is another object of the present invention to improve on constraints that are required by prior art methods of various types where there is a user distinction between calibration and navigational modes.
It is a further object of the invention to provide unique options for statistically determining the need for calibration of an altimeter based on discrepancy between GPS altitude measurements and other altitude measurements.
It is another object of the present invention to provide continuous calibration of an altimeter while the unit is on the move.
These and other objects are achieved by a portable unit having an internal processor. Connected to the processor are, at a minimum, an input (such as a keypad), a display, a memory, a barometric pressure sensor, and a GPS receiver, which also connects to an antenna, such as a GPS patch antenna. These components, along with a power supply (such as batteries) are housed within a housing. As will be understood and appreciated, the input and display are accessible at an exterior of the housing, in a conventional manner.
A navigation device incorporating the present invention serves as a GPS unit, in that GPS signals from a plurality of satellites may be received by the GPS receiver, such that the processor calculates position information based upon the received signals. The conventional use and operation of GPS units is well known, and need not be further described.
Additionally, the present invention addresses an altimeter. In particular, the barometric pressure sensor measures barometric pressure and provides the sensed barometric pressure information to the processor. The processor, utilizing stored software, then converts the measured pressure into an altitude, which may be displayed or otherwise communicated to the user. The conversion of barometric pressure to altitude may be accomplished in any desired and conventional manner. For example, a lookup table may be provided in the memory, where the table contains altitude information corresponding to known barometric pressures. Thus, an altitude corresponding with a sensed barometric pressure may be retrieved from memory and displayed on the display. Alternatively and preferably, altitude (or elevation) may be calculated using a known equation.
In particular, the present invention provides a unique navigation device and method for a navigation device that combines data from a plurality of sensors and position information obtained from a GPS, to provide the user with an accurate representation of altitude information. Additionally, as stated, the simultaneous access to GPS information and altimeter information, as well as calculating the difference between that information to obtain an indication of bias, allows for features such as automatic calibration and calibration while the user is on the move.